As we work on a novel-in-progress, we can lose sight of the stakes our character faces in order to achieve a goal.

Writing Tip for Today: What are some ways to increase a novel’s stakes?

Why it Matters

Your character’s motivation for pursuing a goal (and your logic for writing it in story form) depends upon how important the goal is both to the character and to the reader. Even a goal that is passionately sought by a character may not be effective if readers aren’t convinced that it matters.

Not every novel must have the fate of the universe hanging in the balance. But the goal must be not only important to the character but also logical as important to the reader. That’s why many great novels involve a quest related to universal themes of love, belonging or acceptance. Most of us can relate to these ideas in our own lives, which helps readers root for the character’s success too.

In Tolkien’s LOTR series, for instance, Golum wants a ring. Big deal. Everyone wants something at some point. But note how this ring is tied into power and well-being of the hobbit universe. This larger goal for a smallish thing brings the goal from okay to compelling.

Rings of Influence

As the above example shows, a novel with goals far beyond one person’s desire helps to cement readers’ interest. One way to build these larger goals is to think of your character as the center of a set of concentric circles. In the middle, your character has a goal, and it’s very important to that person.

Each larger circle can represent a larger population. What if the goal’s outcome influences the character’s personal relationships in some profound way? What if the next level is the community, the nation, the world, the galaxy?

Think about the win/lose aspect of the goal. How would winning or losing the goal impact each of these larger circles? Depending on whether or not the character wins or loses, how do these spheres of influence change? Try to build stakes that contain more potential impact on more of these groups.

Tension must rise from scene to scene. 

Tension Ratchets

In a romance novel, the world might not care if your character doesn’t achieve the love interest goal. But how about that character’s immediate circle? Neighborhood? Community? In one sense, your readers’ attitudes toward finding true love can influence the tension too. Perhaps it’s why so many romances involve HEA (Happily Ever After) or HFN (Happy for Now). Romance writers understand their readers’ world view and how this influences the larger circles.

As we discussed last post, tension must rise from scene to scene. That’s why it’s so important to give your character a worthy goal not easily attained. In life, we sometimes go for something and it literally falls in our laps. In fiction, any easily attained goal must itself foreshadow a huge reversal on the way to the climax. Don’t make it too easy.

As tension reaches its peak, it’s a good idea to re-visit your character’s attitudes about the goal. At the All-is-lost moment just before the climax, your character should exhibit some sort of growth and change, some epiphany, some way to draw on the last bit of strength and courage. If your character does reflect change or growth, readers will demand a goal that is really worth fighting for. Keep those stakes as high as you can and involve as many circles of influence as you can.